But I can totally disprove this statement and say they do. I remember some time ago I said I wanted Leonard Nimoy in the game (before they started working on the English version) and then a few months later we get Leonard Nimoy as MX.
Or VT said he wanted Mark Hamill then a few months later we get Mark Hamill.
Or the time some people joked about there being a Sora clone. Then look! We got Xion.
Okay, so those are bad examples but still. It is still likely they come look on these sites to at least see the opinions of fans. It isn't uncommon at all, really. I can tell you writers from shows like House, Heroes, Lost, and whatnot would go onto fan communities and see what the fans were saying.
Or the big example I have of ST and how Orci and Kurtzman float around the fan sites. Not often but they do.
Who?
Yo Erick, where'd you get that avatar!